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Monday, October 17, 2011

New Name

I just don't feel like processing pictures today so the images from Moss Landing will just have to wait.

Somehow, when we arrived in Moss Landing we missed the very obvious entrance to the KOA. We went a little way past it and turned around, then we drove past it a second time.

(We were later told by Levonne that she and the manager watched us drive by.)

We stopped down the street from it, and I went into the Post Office to ask directions. Two nice ladies were getting their mail and walked out with me to point out the KOA which was all of a half block away.

They looked at the Alfa and asked: "Is that your Big White Thing?"

When I reboarded the Alfa I told Craig what they had called it and he decided that would be its new name.

"The Big White Thing"

I will probably still call it The Alfa.

Other bits:We have ordered walkie-talkie head sets to use when getting in or out of our yard, or backing into park spots.

I called and requested an estimate from a stump grinding company to remove the stump which will widen the upper drive a bit.

I ordered a $10 toy Class A RV that I can play with to help me understand how to give better backing up directions.

19 comments:

Haha Merikay - The big white thing! I can see a bumper sticker in this ;-) Or make a window decal! Mine got dubbed Ellie because a friend asked me if I bought a white elephant or what? So Ellie stuck. When will your next adventure out be? Glad this one went well.

When I was an insurance claim adjuster we used little toy matchbook cars on occasion to help us determine how accidents occurred by the impact points. Barney, our rv driving instructor recommended the walkie talkies but we've never bought any.

Walkie-talkie headsets? What a great idea. We do fine with hand signals while parking, etc., but when there are serious long grades, we sometimes drive separately, so that headset idea might be worth an investigation. Have fun in your Big White Thing!

On giving directions, here are a couple of helpful tips I keep in mind.

(1) The Big White Thing has EIGHT corners. Keep an eye on all of them.

(2) When backing into (or out of) a spot, the person giving directions should stand behind within view of side mirrors. If you can't see the mirrors, the driver can't see you. (And our rule is if Paul can't see me, he stops.)

(3) Figure out hand signals that work for the two of you, and use them clearly. I'd rather have park neighbors laugh at me for my big obvious hand signals than for backing our rig into a tree!

(4) We have walkie talkies but never use them. Hand signals work much better for us. (If we start talking we confuse each other!) When the rig is backing toward you, just point your arms in the direction you want the back end to move. That's the direction the driver needs to turn.

After you watch your rig move around a few times you'll get comfortable with knowing when it needs to start turning, etc.

The best advice we ever received was from the salesman who sold us our first MH: Whenever you get in a sticky situation (and you will), stop, both of you get out, and look around and figure it out. You just can't see everything that's going on from inside the rig.

The BIG White Thing - that is too funny. Love it. And I agree with Mary's suggestions on backing. That's who Jim and I do it also. Large hand signals and if I'm not sure about how it's going to fit, Jim gets out and takes a look with me. And the more you do it the better it gets - so get out there again as soon as you can.

I hope I haven't told you this little story already...one day we were camping and just getting ready to take a nice long nap...about 1:00 in the afternoon. We heard a rig pull in (not real big) and the wife was trying to help him back in. It went on and on but it was cute.."a little this way honey...a little that way honey"...pull forward honey...come backward honey"....I told my husband they must be newlyweds...I would like to hear them in about five years!...lol...